John Michael Barrett, Jr.
January 1, 1949 ~ October 2, 2015 (age 66) 66 Years OldShare using:
John Michael Barrett, Jr.
January 1, 1949 ~ October 2, 2015
John Barrett of Edroy, Texas, husband, father, son and brother, and lover of Texas,
passed away on October 2, 2015. John was a fifth generation Texas farmer, who
could trace every root of his family’s long and proud history in South Texas over the
last 180-plus years. John was the eldest of five children of Rear Admiral John M.
“Jack” Barrett, Sr. and the former Eda Joan Odem of Sinton, TX. After WWII,
John’s father was stationed at Corpus Christi Naval Air Station where he met and
married John’s loving mother. Throughout his father’s Naval career, John traveled
the world, but he was always determined to return to South Texas. This
commitment manifested itself by the time he was a very young child and John spent
every moment he could dogging the steps of his grandfather, James Francis Odem,
and later his uncle, Dave Odem, both of Sinton. Even as a seven year old, John was
thrilled to record each rainfall in the family ledger that went back to 1920. This
deep attachment to the region inspired his desire to know his family’s heritage and
John could always recount which Odem, Timon, Brauer, Fritter, Rachal and
McGloin did what, married whom and lived where.
Just as he was a good steward of his family history, John was a responsible farmer
who served the agricultural community with his time and talent. He served as a
director for a combined total of more than one hundred years of service for the San
Patricio County Farm Bureau, the Edcot Cotton Gin, the Edroy Coop, the Gulf
Compress Corpus Christi, the South Texas Cotton and Grain Association, the San
Patricio County Cooperative, and the San Patricio County Rural Rail District, with
service as an officer or executive committee member for most of those organizations
at various times. John was committed to land and water management. He served as
a gubernatorial appointee of Governor George W. Bush to the Coastal Coordination
Council, performed consultative work with the Corpus Christi Bay National
Estuary Program, and was member-appointee of the U. S. Environmental
Protection Agency’s Federal Advisory Commission on clean water provisions. John
was a frequent panelist, presenter and lead witness on water quality and pollution
issues at legislative hearings and conferences. John received numerous professional
awards, including repeat appearances as the Outstanding Conservation Farmer,
the USEPA “Drinking Water Hero” Award, a commendation granted by Resolution
of the Texas Senate, and outstanding service awards from San Patricio County
Farm Bureau, the Cotton Foundation, the EPA, and the Texas Land Commission.
John’s only detour on the road to fulfilling his dream to be a farmer in South Texas
was his enrollment in the United States Naval Academy, from which he graduated
in 1971 followed by 5 years of military service in the United States Navy Special
Warfare Forces. In that role, John was ultimately responsible for 18 Swift river
patrol boats and their crews.
John’s best bit of luck was meeting and marrying the former Debra Seal of Sinton.
John and Debra have been married for 34 years, and together they raised three sons
(all Eagle Scouts) through 34 years of hard-fought harvests. Their marriage has
been a partnership in every way. John and Debra loved scuba diving, particularly
on international trips, with their good and loyal friends in the “Edroy Mafia.” John’s
underwater photographs were spectacular and adorn many a wall. But their real
sanctuary was the home they built on land they acquired through their hard work,
land surrounded by the treasure of Texas beauty, in pasture or crops, and graced by
the windmill beside the pond, and the occasional South Texas critter.
John is survived by Debra, and by their sons, Capt John M. Barrett, III (Megan),
and their son, John M. Barrett, IV, David Odem Barrett (Miranda), and James
Francis Odem Barrett (his fiancé, Sara Dehghani). John is also survived by his
mother, Eda Joan Odem Barrett, and his siblings, Ann Barrett Oldfather (Mike
Hasken), James O. Barrett, Brian O. Barrett (Kimberlee) and Rebecca Barrett
Rawson (Patrick), and numerous nieces and nephews.
A burial mass will be held at Sacred Heart Church in Sinton (906 E Sinton St) on
October 5, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. The family greeting will be at 9:30 a.m. at the church.
A Catholic burial will follow at Sinton Cemetery, (507 Cemetery Street), with lunch
and gathering thereafter in the Sacred Heart Church Parish Hall.
For those who wish, the family suggests memorial contributions to Sisters of the
Incarnate Word.
Arrangements and care entrusted to Resthaven Funeral Home, Sinton.